Autism Plus celebrates after receiving £159,100 of National Lottery funding to expand sensory support in Doncaster

Autism Plus celebrates after receiving £159,100 of National Lottery funding to expand sensory support in Doncaster

Yorkshire based charity Autism Plus is celebrating after being awarded £159,100 in National Lottery funding to expand its work at The Nook Stop in Doncaster. Located in the Frenchgate Shopping Centre, the organisation will use the funding to open The Nook Stop on more days, making the sensory space accessible to more local people.
Launched in 2025, The Nook Stop is a partnership between Autism Plus and Doncaster based AmbiSpace, with support from the Frenchgate Centre. The project is founded on the belief that shopping centres should be inclusive spaces for everyone, offering calm, supportive environments for individuals with autism, sensory processing differences, or anyone needing a quiet space in a busy public area.
The Nook Stop features five sensory pods, including a wheelchair accessible pod, designed by AmbiSpace to provide reduced lighting, soothing textures, and a controlled sensory environment. Shopping centres can be overwhelming, but The Nook Stop offers a safe retreat for neurodivergent individuals and those with sensory sensitivities. Whether visitors need a moment to reset or a quiet place to decompress, the thoughtfully designed space supports their needs.
Thanks to the National Lottery funding, The Nook Stop will open five days a week, including weekends, and free to use. The funding will also enable Autism Plus to employ staff to support and supervise the space, creating two new roles and ensuring visitors receive guidance and assistance when needed. It will further allow Autism Plus to offer activities, workshops, and signposting, supporting local families and individuals, including employment support for people with neurodivergent conditions.
Suzanne Eusman, Head of Employment Services at Autism Plus, said:
“We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can open The Nook Stop on more days and expand our support and advice for Doncaster families. This is so important because it ensures that more people who need a calm, welcoming space can access it.”
The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030. 
As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700  projects to turn their great ideas into reality. 
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk